Book Bundles: A Gathering of Picture Books

(2) PS A young immigrant girl and her mother adjust to life in a new city in this hopeful picture book about resilience. The story follows the little girl over the course of a year as she grows more confident, makes friends, and ultimately thrives. She compares herself to a dandelion: "Like feathery seeds," she and her mother "take flight," leaving their homeland by plane. We aren't told why, but art on the dedication page shows the two boarding a military-looking bus. Lee's digitally rendered illustrations look like collage and have a tactile quality. Initially dark and oppressive when the family arrives in the city, the art lightens as the girl begins to acclimate to her surroundings: "We put down roots / in unfamiliar soil." As winter turns to spring, she blossoms; by book's end, she's strong enough to help welcome other newcomers. "Like a dandelion, I am strong and giving, planted happily in soil that I now call home." A photo of Lee and her siblings taken in a Cambodian refugee camp in the 1970s accompanies an author's note with some dandelion lore, and Lee dedicates the book in part to "my parents and siblings, with whom I shared this journey."

Reviewer: Michelle Lee

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mark Pett. Before a tornado carried it away, the Littletown Library "...was there so long...that people stopped paying attention." With the library razed, community members propose filling the space with a skyscraper or a parking lot. Only young Nia suggests rebuilding the library. The adults counter with objections of cost, lack of use, and lack of need, so Nia decides to show them the value of a library. She begins writing and circulating her own books with vaguely familiar titles (e.g., "Where the Mild Things Roam") and tricks everyone else into doing the same. Bright cartoon art shows the piles of books growing along with the community's investment in the collection. Eventually, they build walls to protect it, and before long, the community has resurrected the library after all, one that they enjoy and use. Loosely tied to the "Stone Soup" tale where individuals give what they have to create something better for everyone, this book offers plenty of comical moments to enjoy in the exaggerated pictures, including a final spread showing another tornado, this time carrying off the school. That a library is a vibrant, welcoming space that truly belongs to its community is a valuable and meaningful message.

Reviewer: Julie Roach

(2) PS Herbert is sure he is a fox, despite his rabbit ears and puffball tail. At home, Herbert's young sibling giggles as he constructs makeshift pointy ears, paints himself a dazzling red, and fashions a bushy tail out of mother rabbit's dress. Her angry response comes as no surprise. Herbert has not only made a mess but has also ruined her favorite dress. "Promise me you will be a good rabbit," she scolds again and again. Sturton's use of bright pastels lightens what could have been a heavy-handed message. The young rabbit doesn't give up on his dream; after retrieving his handmade tail from the trash and tying on his pointy ears, Herbert invites himself to play with the foxes in the park for the first time. When Mom once again disapproves, Herbert has finally had enough. "I AM A FOX!" he announces across a white page--empty save for his declaration and power stance. At last, Mom understands: "Yes. You are my fox." The story ends with a warm embrace and the reminder of the power of a parent's unconditional love.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton

(2) K-3 In this wordless Russian import that explores themes of freedom, scale, and perspective, a girl rests on a backyard blanket under a bright blue sky. Ants wander onto her nose, leading her to discover an anthill, and then a caterpillar, a beetle, and even more critters. After she catches a grasshopper and places it inside a large terrarium jar, the book's perspective shifts briefly, with images shown in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern showcasing what can be interpreted as the grasshopper's memories of freedom. When another grasshopper is added to the jar, a fight ensues. A black cat appears and shatters the jar by knocking it to the ground while the girl distractedly swings on a tree swing. This frees the wrangling creatures and brings nature into balance. While the story spotlights its natural setting, elements of the human-made world (houses, an airplane in the sky, etc.) are ever-present. Vibrant blues and greens abound in the art, with lots of shadows and implied panels to pace the unpredictable and playful narrative. Lines are rendered in a variety of colors, creating a striking contrast between figure outlines and negative space; the bright white of the page, for example, is used for the protagonist's skin tone as well as the neighborhood structures.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall